Marion, 46, became interested in birds as a child, when she ``adopted`` one she had found in a wooded area near her home. Today, her collection includes birds of all colors, sizes and temperaments.

``Most of them are very friendly, but they are just as much individuals as people are,`` she said.

Marion and her 8-year-old daughter, Cindy, do everything from feeding and grooming the birds to breeding them to obtain uncommon colors. Although Marion admits to seeking veterinary advice when necessary, the care of the birds is basically a one-woman operation.

``I rarely leave them, and, if I do, I always get a house-sitter,`` she said.

When the small room at the side of the house gets too crowded for her feathered friends, Marion sells some of the family to friends and pet shops. But she emphasizes that her fascination with the animals is not fueled by money.

``This is certainly not a profit-making enterprise,`` Marion said. ``All I do is cover my feed expenses, and, besides, you`re not allowed to run a business from your home.``

What has motivated Marion to devote so much time to birds is the joy she says they inspire in her, and her belief that humans underestimate the capabilities of all types of animals.

``Animals intuitively know what`s going on about everything,`` she said. ``My birds sense when there is unrest, or when someone is about to leave, and they react much like humans would.``

Marion is partial to the cockatiel, an affectionate member of the parrot family. But the present center of attention is Rooster, a chubby black mynah she purchased two months ago for her husband`s birthday.

``The first thing Rooster learned to do was growl like my two dogs,`` she said. ``Now he says `hi` and asks what you`re doing, but I can`t get him to say, `I love you,` which may tell you something about him.``

Of course, a house with more than 40 animals can lead to some difficulties. Marion has to trim the birds` flight feathers so that they do not fly too far from their room. Furthermore, cleaning a roomful of cages is no picnic, she said.

``And I have friends who are so scared of birds that they will not set foot in the room,`` she said.

Still, Marion does not compare her situation to that of the Wilton Manors woman who violated a city ordinance by keeping two horses in her home. But she did sympathize with the woman`s intentions.

``I can understand her compassion for animals,`` she said. ``I guess it was just the wrong time and the wrong place.``

After all, she said, humans and animals have more in common than humans will often admit.